A group of university friends spend New Years Eve at a remote lodge in the wilds of Scotland. They spend every New Year together and this year it is Emma who has arranged the trip. She is a veritable new-comer to the group, being Mark's girlfriend but she is determined to make an effort and create a memory no one will forget. Things start badly when they discover that their train ticket seats aren't all together, but surely that's only a minor blip and won't spoil the actual trip itself. When they arrive at the station they are greeted by Doug the gamekeeper and are prepped with the rules and regulations of being out in the wild, especially as the weather is about to get worse and they could be literally snowed in with no way in or out.
The group have changed since their uni days, no one remains the same, and it is apparent from the offset that their is tension among them. One couple have insisted on bringing their baby along, the men are all trying to be 'top dog' and well, something isn't sitting quite right amongst the girls either. By the end of the trip one member of the party will be dead. The question is who dies, and who killed them?
Lucy Foley brings up the whole question of friendships, and of whether these are sometimes maintained out of the feeling of necessity rather than from an actual desire to want to remain friends. There weren't many really likeable people in this story out of the group of friends, and I did spend most of the book wondering which of those was going to meet a gritty end - I wasn't sorry to learn who it was! Then came the next game - trying to work out who had killed them.
The Hunting Party is a great atmospheric novel and worked well being set in the middle of nowhere to give it a darker edge.

I would have read this in one sitting if I hadn't had to go to work-I couldn't put it down!It 's like an Agatha Christie for the 21 st century,the story of a group of extremely unpleasant 30somethings who go to a very remote Highland lodge for New Year.Over the course of three days,one of the group disappears and is later found dead .The lodge is cut off by snow,with no access,so the killer has to be one of the group or one of the two lodge employees.
The tension builds slowly as the time frame moves between the present and the days before the suspicious death,and the story is told by several narrators.The details are fed in in small drops so you really have to pay attention.And I really didn't see the plot twist coming.
All in all,a great read -highly recommended.

Amazing! Absolutely loved this. It had me hooked from the very first chapter. I like the way it was narrated from different perspectives and from before and after the murder. I did not guess the murderer until the very end - very cleverly written!

4.5 Stars

The Hunting Party was a book that I’d heard a lot about so was very eager to read, especially as I’d read and enjoyed all of the author’s previous books.

The reader is introduced to a supposedly close old group of friends that at the beginning of the book I was a little jealous of. However as the story continues you quickly became aware that everything isn’t quite as jolly and the people aren’t quite as connected as they first appear. Through a series of intriguing flash backs the reader finds out more about each of the characters history which is more than a little murky and full of secrets. This leads to a lot of potential suspects and my view on who I though the murderer was kept changing as different things kept being revealed.

The setting for this book in a wild, isolated part of Scotland helps create a lot of tension and unease in the story. There is always a feeling that something could be about to happen, that something or someone is watching and that anything could be happening in the dense woodland. There is a feeling, voiced by Miranda in the book, that if something was to happen no one would know about it and no one would hear you scream which sent a shiver down my spine.

The story does start a bit slowly but this gives the reader plenty of time to get to know the characters both individually and to see how they function together in a group. The author cleverly drops little clues into the story which hints at unease in the group and which keeps the reader thoroughly intrigued. As more is slowly revealed the tension and feeling of unease is increased until the book becomes very gripping. I must confess I did guess who the victim was fairly early on but who the murderer was had me guessing until the end.

The ending was brilliant! A thoroughly gripping and shocking way to end the story. There is a lot of action happening and some big surprises which kept me glued to the page. I liked the way the story ended as I felt it was quite realistic and not all tied into a neat little bow which would have been easy to do.

I’ve read all of the author’s historical novels, The Hunting Party being her first crime novel, and I’m very interested to read more from her in the future as I always thoroughly enjoy her books. If you’re a fan of Lianne Moriarty then I think you’ll enjoy this book as I felt the styles were similar.

Huge thanks to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Netgalley which I received in exchange for an honest review.

An old group of friends take a trip to an isolated hunting lodge in the depths of Scotland to bring in the new year. However heavy snow means there is no escape and one of the guests goes missing and is later found dead.

This is a classic whodunit story where the finger of guilt is pointed at all members of the group, all who seem to have a reason to have murdered their friend. Suspicions are raised and the rest of the group do not know who to trust, all the while they are stranded from rescue due to the bad weather conditions that have hit the remote location.

I liked the way the characters were developed in the story and how their stories and guilt all tied in together, I was certainly kept guessing until the very end.

Exciting twisty thriller with well executed timeslip narration and multiple view points. The conceit of not knowing the victim until near the end was interesting, but either I'm reading too many twisty books and am getting good at spotting these things, or the execution didn't fully deliver.

I don’t read many thrillers but enjoyed this. Characters are well-drawn, the setting is v atmospheric & it’s v tautly plotted & paced.

An enjoyable and creepy thriller that keeps you guessing right to the end.
A group of friends hire a Lodge for a New Year break and before they even get there, tensions between some of them begin to rumble and you're left wondering why some of them are even friends.
Taking part in a hunt and enjoying the festivities put on by those in charge of the hunting lodge, the gamekeeper and manager are used to a variety of guests by now but even they are shocked by some of the behaviour and notice simmering arguments begin to bubble up and do their best to stay away.
And then one of them party goes missing and we are left trying to figure out who the murderer is after the discovery of the body.
It wasn't easy to like many of the characters as they do come across as quite spoiled, privileged and with so many grudges between them there are many suspects and motives to be acted upon. There's also interesting glimpses into the past which really does add something extra and it isn't revealed until quite late who has actually been killed.
Overall I found this to be a fast paced and gripping story that kept me on the edge of my seat, a recommended read.

I re-read this whilst on holiday in the Highlands and loved it just as much second time around.

Seven friends - three couples and one singleton, travel to the Scottish Highlands to spend New Year's Eve in a hunting lodge. And during the trip one of them winds up dead, but who and why isn't revealed until towards the end.

This was an enjoyable and fun mystery that’s fast-paced and easy to read. The narrative switched between Doug the game keeper who is harbouring a secret, the lodge manger Heather who is hiding from a tragedy and of course the pretentious characters. It also flits from the past and present to give you the back story of the friends and also sow the seed as to who-dunnit.


Great premise, great stetting and the just right mix of pretentious characters that you will love to hate, and honestly I was glad when one of them ended up dead! But in a good way!

The synopsis for this book does a really great job. A story of friendship that once held these people together through their younger days but now appears to be heading towards its best by date.

I really enjoyed the style this book has been laid out in. It has quick chapters that flit back and forth between the groups’ arrival at a Scottish Lodge, there pasts and then forward to the day that a body is discovered.

Another alternating factor is that of the characters, as their chapters also change as sections are told from them and fro their own perspective. The gave additional insights into each character, so I got to see them as they think they are seen and also how they are actually seen. The characters give memories, events, relationships and also interactions that gradually builds up a picture of how this group came together and what keeps them in touch with each other.

With all the toing and froing, you would think it would get a little bit confusing, but this is really not the case. I soon discovered that I was able to easily keep up with this and the reading was understandable.

I really liked the way the author kept the ID of the victim secret all the way through the story. This gave me a chance to try and work out who the victim was. I could say that I worked out who it was, but the truth of the matter is that there were several people who I guessed, so in actual fact, I didn’t really guess at all. Oh and the perpetrator, well I didn’t guess that one either.

This is a story that had a feel of Agatha Christie about it, I say this because of its isolated setting and that it was closed off to outsiders which meant it had to be one of the group. Also, there were the pieces of the puzzle being brought together at the end.

I really enjoyed this story, the style in which it was written and it worked really well for me. It is a murder/ mystery/ whodunit/ who was the victim style that I think would appeal to a variety of readers. It isn’t a hard crime book but more towards a cosy mystery. It is one I would definitely recommend.

I gave this book a 3.5 stars or 7/10. My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well written debut novel from Lucy Foley. I will be watching for more books by this Author, as I feel that she can only get better as time goes on.

This was an interesting premise, similar in some ways to the likes of Agatha Christie in so much as the setting was a hunting lodge in a remote area in the countryside. As a group of friends have hired the house for a few days after Christmas over the New Year period to celebrate New Year together.

As with most groups of friends there are secrets and tensions, this group is no different than any other. When one of the group is found dead, it's not long before the finger of blame is pointing at one of them or the employees of the house, whose job it is to look after the house. Who among them will have carried out the deadly deed?

Lucy Foley has a way of narrating the story from the points of view of the friends and also some of the employees of the house. Each chapter centres around one of the characters time and time again, detailing both the past and present an intricately woven web of experiences and interactions.

This is a slow burner style of story that will grip you from start to finish as the web of connections between the characters evolves.

Well worth reading in my opinion and an Author to keep an eye on.

Warning – don’t start reading if you want a full night’s sleep!

The Hunting Party is a real old fashioned whodunnit but with a twist, it’s not only a ‘whodunnit’ but a ‘who had it done to them’. A party of old Oxford University friends who spend every New Years Eve together out of habit, not inclination, descend onto The Lodge, an idyllic spot in the Scottish Highlands; the snow falls and they are cut off from the outside world, they argue, old secrets and resentments surface, a murdered body is found but there is no escape for any of them. Who is the murderer and who was the victim?

Brimming with sub-plots and surprises, this story keeps you on the edge of your chair throughout. I defy anyone to put it down once they are under its spell. It was a very satisfying and skilful read and a real slow-burner at first.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read and review this fabulous book.

A remote lodge in The Highlands, a group of friends all with secrets and hidden agendas, a ton of booze and drugs - what on Earth could go wrong!? I really enjoyed this book and how each chapter was told from a different character's point of view. Each of them giving an insight into themselves and their friends.

Most of the people in The Hunting Party are not very nice people so I had no idea who the victim or murderer was until the reveal. There were a few candidates for who I hoped met a grisly end! Very cleverly done and I would highly recommend.

This was a wonderful read. From the isolated haunting setting to the deeply flawed characters this book had everything. A great mystery

**4.5 stars**

There are some books you see and you know you HAVE to read them. It may be a striking cover, it may be an intriguing blurb or it may just be a feeling in your gut that you're going to miss out on something GREAT if you don't read a particular book. I can safely say it was all of the above for me when it came to The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher but that has in no way influenced my review.

I am a massive fan of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and I had everything crossed that this book was going to have echoes of Christie's brilliant novel about it. It certainly does but with a wonderfully modern twist to the tale and it stands, two feet firmly on the ground, on its own merit. I love the idea of a group of people completely stranded in a vast inhospitable landscape. People you *think* you know but one of them is a murderer. Who is it? How well do you really know these people? And could you be their next victim...?

University friends Miranda, Katie, Julien, Nick, Giles, Samira and Mark plus the addition of a couple of partners, Bo and Emma, head north from London to the Scottish Highlands for New Year. It's going to be the holiday of a lifetime, all meticulously planned by prim and proper Emma. However, over the years those strong bonds formed at Oxford have started to break a little. Everyone is busy with their careers or children so it's tough to find the time to spend together. There's no escape this New Year though as they'll be living in each other pockets, miles from anywhere. Just how long will the friends be able to stand each other. How long can they keep the secrets they hide?

The characters and the setting absolutely make this book. The isolation of the Scottish Highlands, teamed with Foley's very intriguing cast of characters kept me turning the pages at a rate of knots. I can't say I particularly liked any of them but that never really matters to me. In fact, the more secretive and the more despicable a character is the more I enjoy the book! I wanted to know more, so much so that I read this book in a matter of days rather than the two weeks it's been taking to finish a novel of late.

The story is told from several viewpoints; those of Miranda the beautiful 'it' girl who craves the attention of everyone around her.  Emma, Mark's girlfriend who is chief organiser of the holiday and a late addition to the group.  Katie, Miranda's not-quite-so-glamorous BFF.  Heather, the host at the house who has secrets of her own and Doug, the aloof gamekeeper.  Despite using several different voices to tell the story I didn't find it confusing as all of the narrators stand apart from one another.  They are all very different distinct characters.

What I loved was that the reader discovers there has been a murder fairly early on. Foley, however, manages to keep who the victim is a secret until very near the end of the story. You can't help speculating though. I make a couple of guesses as I progressed through the book. I won't mention that there were times when I really hoped it was a certain dastardly character though 😉.  I can't really put into words how compelling The Hunting Party is so I suggest you get a copy yourself and experience this brilliant book first-hand.

Would I recommend this book?  Absolutely.  Without a moment's hesitation.  It's creepy and claustrophobic with a brilliant ending.  It's a perfect example of the books I love to read.  A great page-turner of a book with intriguing characters, a fabulous remote setting and shedloads of suspicion and suspense.  More please! Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review The Hunting Party.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Plot: A group of old friends take a trip to a secluded hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands over Christmas where they find themselves snowed in. It begins innocently enough, but as they’re trapped by a blizzard unlike no other before, one of them is murdered.

My thoughts: Another very good murder mystery, this one with the fun twist of an isolated group of people – so it can only be someone we know – and the secluded Scottish landscape. We know about the murder almost immediately in the story, but we don’t know who the victim is, let alone the murderer – keeping us in the dark until later, an excellent plot device! We jump back to earlier, when the group arrives for their stay then go chronologically up to the event itself with occasional jumps into memory, viewpoints flitting between the different guests. While there were lots of quite similar characters, they were fairly easy to keep straight (which can be tricky in a book like this!) and the plot was fast paced. The group dynamics were wonderful – you never know who to trust, as seemingly neither do they, and the mystery is kept very well until it’s revealed. Definitely recommend it as a chilling read for dark nights.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Still a good read, but just didn't blow my socks off.

This books starts with a very mysterious beginning. Heather and Doug the gamekeeper, are missing a guest and then a body is discovered and it looks like murder!!

When a group of Oxford University friends that call themselves “The Inner circle” plan to spend New Year on the remote Scottish Highlands, you can tell by the amounts of champagne they take that they are planning to have a merry time!!

Although they plan to be together every News Year Eve, their other commitments such as work and family mean they do not see much of each other throughout the rest of the year, but put them all together and it’s as if they have never been apart. This time however there are tensions within the group

There are a lot of characters in this book and the story keeps going back to before the body was discovered and afterwards. This is a very easy and enjoyable book to read. I found it novel that it was not revealed till nearly the end of the book who the victim was, what a clever twist!! There I was not only trying to work out who the murderer was but also who the victim was!!

I think it was more chilling because of the remoteness of the location and the fact that someone you thought was a close friend could be a murderer.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

"A Winter Highland Wilderness" is the setting for this tale about a group of old friends with secrets to hide. Four couples, a single friend and a baby join the Lodge keeper Heather and her colleagues to spend New Years Eve at a remote lodge in Scotland. By the New Year, unfortunately, one of the party will be dead.

I didn't enjoy this, unfortunately. There was nothing wrong with the writing, and the idea was good, I just felt that there were too many characters and none of them were particularly well fleshed out. They were all horrible people who were all lying to each other (apart from Samira and her baby, who were completely unnecessary). The chapters were short, about 1-2 minutes long, but all the jumping around from one character to another was confusing because they were all so alike. There was nothing really to set any of the women apart, the only individual voice was Doug's. I didn't like how the identity of the murder victim was dragged out, constantly referring to them as "they" in conversation until the last half of the book felt stilted and unrealistic.

I also felt that yet another use of "personality disorder" to justify someones actions is a bit overdone at this point and the way it was just thrown in there was an insult to those who suffer with mental health issues. I'm so over seeing it being used as a plot device. Why can't bad people just be bad people?

Overall this wasn't for me, but I thank the publishers for granting me access to the ARC via NetGalley and I would read more from this author again because I liked the short chapters and the overall style of writing, I just didn't enjoy this one unfortunately.

I deliberately saved this book to read over New Year's Eve, so I could really immerse myself in the atmosphere, and it did not disappoint. I loved getting to know the group of old friends, and they put me in mind of my own friends from when I was a teenager. We haven't all been together for some time, but I just know we would fall back into our own roles within the group, just like the friends in this book.

Everything about this book is designed to ramp up the tension; the isolated location, completely cut off from the world by the weather, and with no Wi-Fi, the glass construction of the lodge meaning that once you are inside with the lights on you have no way of knowing who is watching from the darkness outside, the fact that every single person, including the lodge employees has something to hide. It just drips with sinister feeling.

Although I had worked out the two parties involved in the murder by about halfway through the book, I wasn't able to work out who was the killer and who was the victim until right towards the end. Even having worked this out, and also having my suspicions about some of the other secrets early on didn't spoil this book for me in the slightest. The atmospheric tension kept me sucked in and totally engrossed, right to the very last page.